The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic continues to have an effect on CIMA studies. It is your responsibility to stay up-to-date, and important that you are aware of the impact that it is having on CIMA and what this means for your exams.

We advise that you carefully monitor CIMA’s Coronavirus updates page. On this page, you will find useful links for tracking the impact on exams and events in your specific location, as well as other useful advice that you may find helpful in the current situation.

We also advise you to monitor Pearson Vue’s Coronavirus updates page. This page contains vital information about the impact on exam centres and requirements for students who wish to take exams online or in person.

21/01/2022 – UK member nations announce easing of restrictions

The UK’s member nations have announced easing of ‘plan B’ restrictions, including an end to mandatory masks and work-from-home guidance. In England these will be eased on January 24th, while elsewhere February 1st is the intended date.

The 7-day death rate at the time of these announcements stands at over 1,800. Students are therefore encouraged to continue practising caution beyond the minimum legal requirement.

07/01/2022 – Restrictions in place throughout UK member nations

Restrictions are now in place throughout the UK encouraging those who can to work from home wherever possible; in Wales, non-essential workers and employers can be fined for attending an office. There are no formal restrictions in place throughout England but caution continues to be advised, and the national government continues to encourage vaccination.

Exam centres remain open at this time. However, students are advised to continue monitoring the situation and should consider sitting remotely.

17/12/2021 – Caution advised over omicron variant

The omicron variant is spreading at a significant rate. Although there are currently no formal restrictions throughout the UK, caution has been advised over any non-essential travel or indoor mixing.

05/11/2021 – Face masks continue to be recommended at Pearson Vue exam centres

In many regions, face masks remain mandatory, and candidates must attend their exam with an appropriate face covering. However, Pearson Vue recommend that face masks continue to be worn even in regions where they are no longer compulsory, and so students are strongly encouraged to attend any in-person exams with a suitable face mask that covers the mouth and nose.

22/10/2021 – UK Government considers ‘Plan B’ measures

Cases continue to rise throughout the UK. The UK government has announced there is no intention to move to ‘Plan B’ restrictions as of this time, but is monitoring cases closely. Please continue to check this page regularly for updates on any future restrictions.

08/08/2021 – Easing of restrictions throughout UK planned for the 9th August

Restrictions throughout Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are planned for the 9th of August. Although these restrictions are being relaxed legally, it is still recommended that they are followed where possible.

19/07/2021 – Restrictions eased in England

Many restrictions like wearing masks indoors and social distancing have been lifted or eased, although the UK government still recommends that where possible, these measures are still followed.

09/07/2021 – End to restrictions planned throughout England

A planned end to restrictions in England on the 19th of July is set to go ahead. An announcement with further information is expected on the 12th of July.

18/06/2021 – Easing of restrictions delayed throughout the United Kingdom

Due to the rising number of delta variant cases throughout the UK, a planned easing of restrictions from June 21st onward has been delayed. No additional restrictions have been imposed at this time, and students who have booked in-person exams should still be able to attend but are encouraged to contact their testing centre directly.

14/05/2021 – Restrictions remain in place throughout much of the world

Although many countries have now lifted or partially lifted restrictions on testing centres, many restrictions still remain in place. For detailed information about testing in your nation, make sure to review Pearson Vue’s country-specific updates on their COVID-19 updates page.

30/04/2021 – Easing of restrictions across the United Kingdom

Pearson Vue testing centres across the UK have now reopened for in-person exams. Candidates must provide and wear an appropriate face mask, and may be asked to leave and reschedule their exam if they display any symptoms on arrival.

Availability is currently limited due to social distancing restrictions.

16/04/2021 – Partial easing of restrictions across England and Wales

As a result of the gradual easing of COVID restrictions, some testing centres throughout the UK have begun to reopen across England and Wales. Not all testing centres have reopened, and all health and safety requirements remain in place. Check your local testing centre for further information before booking an exam.

All restrictions currently remain in place across Scotland and Northern Ireland.

09/04/2021 – All restrictions remain in place

Although social restrictions have begun easing according to the UK government’s timeline, Pearson Vue test centres throughout the UK remain closed at present for all non-essential in-person testing. Remote exams are unaffected and may still be booked.

19/03/2021 – All restrictions remain in place

All non-essential in-person testing, including CIMA exams, remains suspended. Remote exams are not affected, and students with an in-person exam booked should aim to reschedule to a remote exam.

15/01/2021 – All non-essential in-person testing suspended throughout the UK

All non-essential in-person testing, including CIMA exams, is currently suspended. Remote exams are not affected, and students with an in-person exam booked should aim to reschedule to a remote exam.

08/01/2021 – Tier 4 restrictions remain in place

Tier 4 restrictions remain in place throughout the UK with no information yet available about when they are likely to be relaxed. Students with in-person exams booked in the immediate future should aim to reschedule.

20/11/2020 – Pearson Vue centres in Scotland are now CLOSED

Testing at Pearson Vue’s Glasgow, Clydesdale, Ayr and Stirling test centres is now suspended. Students who have booked an exam will need to reschedule or will receive either a refund or extension, depending upon their sponsor.

20/11/2020 – Pearson Vue centres in Wales operating with restrictions

At present, all Pearson Vue testing centres in Wales are currently open and operating normally. If you wish to attend an in-person exam you must arrive with a mask and familiarise yourself with Pearson Vue’s Health and Safety information.

05/11/2020 – Pearson Vue centres in England are now CLOSED

All Pearson Vue testing centres in England have now closed, and will not re-open until Wednesday the 2nd of December or later. Testing centres in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are currently operating with restrictions which can be found on the Pearson Vue COVID-19 updates page.

02/11/2020 – England’s Pearson Vue exam centres are CLOSING

To comply with the lockdown beginning on Thursday the 5th of November, all England-based Pearson Vue test centres will be closed until Wednesday the 2nd of December. If you have an exam scheduled at a test centre during this period, you must either cancel your exam and reschedule for a future date, or schedule a remote exam instead. We will provide further information on other UK regions as it becomes available.

Astranti students who are unable to sit their exams due to this closure and require an extension of materials should immediately contact enquiries@astranti.com

02/10/2020 – Some exam centres now offering 24-Hour testing

To reduce crowding, some exam centres are now offering tests 24 hours per day. When booking your exam, please make sure you double-check whether you are booking for AM or PM.

25/09/2020 – Face masks now REQUIRED at Pearson Vue testing centres

If you wish to attend an exam in person at a Pearson Vue testing centre, you are now required to wear a compliant face mask to limit potential exposure and spread of the COVID-19 infection. You will also be required to sanitise your hands upon arrival. Find more information about hygiene at Pearson Vue here.

06/07/2020 – Exam centres REOPENING

Exam centres are beginning to reopen. You can find out if your local test centre is open by heading to the Pearson Vue website. Although test centres are reopening, remote exams will continue to be available and CIMA plans to continue making remote exams available even after all test centres have reopened.

22/04/2020 – Exam scheduling now open for remote exams

You can now book your remote exam. To do so, you need to follow the normal exam scheduling process via the CIMA website. You can book your objective test exams starting from 4th May and your May case study exams for the originally scheduled exam dates.

07/04/2020 – Objective Test exams starting soon

The certificate and professional level objective test exams are scheduled to begin on Monday 4th May 2020. These exams will be home-based exams, so will be slightly different to the exams you are used to. Head over to the Pearson Vue website to try the practice tests. Please note that you will need to be signed in to be able to view the practice tests.

27/03/2020 – May 2020 Case Study exams to go-ahead

CIMA has announced that the case study exams for May 2020 are scheduled to go ahead. However, given that test centres are likely to be closed for the foreseeable future, CIMA is making plans for Case Study students to take the exams at home. More information will be released by CIMA in the coming weeks, so stay tuned.

As an online business, we are still fully functional and do not expect to have to stop operations at any point throughout the duration of the coronavirus outbreak. We will continue to support and offer you advice throughout your studies.

To reduce the risk of outbreak, all Astranti staff are complying with the latest government advice.

If you are working and studying from home, you must do so as effectively as possible.

For support with balancing your work-life-study time at home, we recommend that you join our student-led Facebook groups. There are already lots of suggestions for you to incorporate into your own home-working, as well as many other CIMA exam hints and tips from both your fellow students and our Astranti tutors.

Join the discussions in the groups below:

CIMA Certificate Facebook group       CIMA Operational Facebook group       CIMA Management Facebook group       CIMA Strategic Facebook group